Blue Lights Season 3 Premiere Recap: An Elusive Threat Hints At A Bigger Danger In Belfast — Plus, Grade It!

The good men and women of the Police Service of Northern Ireland are back on the beat, which can only mean one thing: BritBox's "Blue Lights" has returned for Season 3.

In a moment, we'll want to know what you thought of the cop drama's premiere. But first, let's catch up with our favorite guardians of public safety, starting with...

GRACE AND STEVIE | After that Season 2-ending kiss, these two are a full-fledged couple as the episode gets underway, living together and scrolling through realtor sites for a possible new place. They wind up involved in a bust of a drug dealer named Sandy whose accomplice gets away; only later, when Grace is looking over photos of the pair, does she realize that the girl who ran, Lindsay, was a kid in the foster-care system whom Grace knew when she was a social worker.

Elsewhere in the episode, Sandra suggests that Stevie take on the added responsibility/promotion of being a "skipper," or temporary sergeant. He's not excited about the opportunity, but she assures him he's the best man for the job.

TOMMY AND AISLING AND ANNIE (AND SHANE) | Tommy and Aisling are still together, sharing an apartment with Annie, who isn't around as often as she used to be: Her mother is dying, so she's been ignoring the dissident threats that drove her from home so she can be with her mom in her final weeks. Annie and Aisling get sent to investigate a noise complaint and find a raging house party; when they finally turn off the music, they hear a baby's cry coming from upstairs. They remove a toddler girl from the premises while her drugged-out mom casually asks when she can get her back; Aisling and Annie spend the rest of the episode entertaining the kid at the station until social services can get there.

Meanwhile, Shane and Tommy respond to a call of a man collapsing at a private, upscale club called The Deanery. As we know from earlier in the episode, the man bought cocaine from Sandy and Lindsay via an app. In the hospital, while the man is still unconscious, Shane pries the guy's eyelid open in order to unlock his phone, hoping that the app is still running and they can use it to track down the kingpin responsible. But all he gets is access to the man's chats. As Tommy protests, Shane takes photos of the messages but has to stop what he's doing when a doctor enters the room and makes it clear it's time for them to go.

Elsewhere in Blackthorn Station

MEET COLLY | During the hour, we are introduced to Paul Collins (played by Michael Smiley, "Bad Sisters"), an Intelligence officer who knows Helen from way back. He shows up at Blackthorn Station and intervenes when Sandy is arrested, eventually getting the young man alone and offering to help him extract himself from the crime organization he's working for in exchange for being a police informant. Though Sandy initially is resistant, he eventually agrees... then gets a summons to meet Fogarty at Matchett's Mill. Sandy quickly lets Lindsay know where he's going but, aware that he's likely marching to his doom, Sandy warns her to stay away.

Lindsay lets Grace know where Sandy is headed, so she and Stevie drive there... just in time to have Sandy's body, which Fogerty pushed off the roof, land in front of their car.

Now it's your turn. What did you think of the episode? Grade the premiere via the poll below, then hit the comments with your thoughts!

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